


Oops. I Burned the House Down

by rcqstock



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27883507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rcqstock/pseuds/rcqstock
Summary: It’s thanksgiving for the Grimes and Walsh households. Daryl was left at home to babysit the kids while Rick, Shane, and Lori make a last minute run to the grocery store and they come back and the house is on fire.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Rick Grimes, Lori Grimes/Shane Walsh
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Oops. I Burned the House Down

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BetterOptions](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetterOptions/gifts).



> This is my second story in the fandom constructive criticism welcome.

Daryl was standing in the giant driveway with Carl standing next to him holding his sister Judith. Daryl was watching the fire fighters move around trying to put the house fire out.  
A car pulls into the driveway and three car doors slam and Daryl just knows that it's Rick from the sound of his footsteps on the asphalt followed by Lori and Shane.  
“What the fuck?! Why is the house on fire Daryl we were gone for literally 20 minutes Darlin’?”  
Daryl whips around and he immediately looks at the ground. Lori and Shane go to where Carl is standing holding Judith and guides them away from the two other men with a quiet,  
“Let’s give them some space.”  
Daryl flinches and mumbles,  
“You’re back early.”  
Rick sighs and raises an eyebrow and in that ‘Don’t even think about it tone’ says,  
“I will ask one more time. Why is the house on fire?”  
Daryl flinches again and rocks back and forth on his heels.  
“The house is on fire because I tried to make your grandmother’s pecan pie and forgot it was in the oven because Judith had climbed up onto the dining room table and knocked a couple of candles over, so I had to deal with that and then Carl puked all over the living room and then the dining room was on fire and the kitchen was on fire and Judith was crying and Carl was puking and I didn’t know what to do. And I burned the pie.”  
Rick sighed and held his arms out,  
“Come ere baby. I got you. Everything is going to be okay. Nobody got hurt and it's just a little fire. That’s what home insurance is for.”  
Daryl melts into Rick's arms and starts crying the moment Rick is holding him up.  
Shane and Lori make their way over after making sure that Carl and Judith are okay. Shane speaks first,  
“Are you okay Daryl? Carl says that the only reason everyone made it out okay is you. So I wanted to thank you for that. You kept the kids safe. The house isn’t what’s important. It’s just a thing. It can be replaced. Lori and I are grateful for what you did.”  
Daryl takes a deep breath and looks up to meet Shane’s gaze.  
“I just did what any decadent person would do and removed them from danger.”  
Shane nods and Lori turns to look at the house one more time. She then turns to Shane and says,  
“Well I guess Thanksgiving just got a lot more interesting, now didn’t it?”  
Shane steps closer to her and wraps his around her.  
“Yes. Yes it is Darlin.”  
Carl makes his way back over to the adults while still holding Judith.  
“So what’s the plan? I ask this because you adults usually have back-up plans for when everything goes up in flames. Sometimes even literal flames.”  
Rick laughed and pulled Carl into the embrace that he still had Daryl in.  
“Well Carl, usually you would be right. But today of all days we didn’t expect things to go wrong in quite this fashion. So we gotta take a breath and regroup.”  
Daryl ducks out of Rick’s embrace and straightens up to his full height which usually means he has something to say.  
“I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but why don’t we just order pizza at the apartment? I mean that seems like it would be enough right? The holiday isn’t really about the food is it? Well maybe it is. I don’t know.”  
Shane smiled at Daryl,  
“I think that’s a mighty fine offer but Lori and I are going to just get a hotel room and go from there. There are some things that we really do need to discuss.”  
Daryl nods and turns his attention back to Rick.  
“I think that we should let these two have some space. Carl take Judith to the car Rick and I will be a long in a moment.”  
Carl nods and heads for Rick’s pick up truck. Lori smiles and thanks Daryl one more time before going to speak with one of the fire fighters about when they will be able to get back into the house to assess the damage. As she walks away Shane turns back to Daryl and Rick and hands Daryl a piece of paper and then nods at Rick and walks away to join Lori. Rick and Daryl join hands and walk to the car.  
Once they’re buckled in Daryl says,  
“I sincerely hope that next year isn’t anything like this year was.”  
Rick laughs and starts the drive back to the apartment.


End file.
